The Royal Mint has unveiled a new collection of coins overseen by King Charles III, inspired by plants and animals from the four UK nations and designed to appeal to children.
The coins, which will be in circulation by the end of the year, depict "the flora and fauna found in different parts of the UK", said The Guardian, and "reflect his [the King's] interest in conservation and nature". It marks the first time the UK's coins have been entirely redesigned since 2008.
The new 1p shows a hazel dormouse, the 5p an oak tree leaf, the 20p a puffin, the 50p an Atlantic salmon and there are two bees on the pound coin. The 10p piece depicts a capercaillie, a critically endangered (and formerly extinct) game bird found in parts of Scotland. The £2 coin "features a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland".
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An effigy of the King, by sculptor Martin Jennings and presented by the Royal Mint in 2022, will remain. However, the monarch's portrait faces to the left, in the opposite direction to that of the late Queen Elizabeth II, "in line with British coinage traditions". It is inscribed with "IN SERVITIO OMNIUM" – "in the service of all".
The collection is "a real gear change", Chris Barker, information and research manager of the Royal Mint, told The Daily Telegraph. "We have had feedback and input from the King himself," Barker said. "He is very keen to ensure that the idea of having a naturalistic theme across the coins that fits him and also fits this era particularly well."
The designs mark "a significant shift" from the coins featuring the late Queen, said the paper, as there is "very little heraldic imagery – depictions of Britannia alongside shields and royal family crests". Images of Britannia, "the helmeted female warrior who represents the nation, a staple on coins between 1672 and 2008", are no longer featured.
But the size of the lettering "has been increased to make them more accessible and to help children learn numeracy skills".
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"The large numbers will be very appealing to children who are learning to count and about the use of money," Rebecca Morgan, director at the Mint, told the BBC. "Also the animals and everything you see on these coins will appeal to children."
There have been commemorative coins circulating featuring Charles, noted the BBC, but these designs, "officially known as definitives", mark "the final chapter of the King's transition onto coinage".
Eight new designs, featuring various UK flora and fauna, will be in circulation by the end of the year
(Image credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty)
The red squirrel on the 2p coin is said to be a favourite animal of the King's
(Image credit: Daniel Leal / AFP)
The familiar profile of Charles, presented by the Royal Mint in 2022, will remain
(Image credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty)
There are more than 250 species of bees in the UK, playing a crucial role in pollinating plants
(Image credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty)
Around 10% of the puffin's worldwide population breeds in the UK
(Image credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty)
The coins are inscribed on their edge with 'IN SERVITIO OMNIUM' – Latin for 'in the service of all'
Harriet Marsden is a senior staff writer and podcast panellist for The Week, covering world news and writing the weekly Global Digest newsletter. Before joining the site in 2023, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, working for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent among others, and regularly appearing on radio shows. In 2021, she was awarded the “journalist-at-large” fellowship by the Local Trust charity, and spent a year travelling independently to some of England’s most deprived areas to write about community activism. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, and has also worked in Bolivia, Colombia and Spain.
